juggling levels of knowledge
one must try hard to asses an average which is manageable and not boring with both spectrums of the class.
Philip,
This is such a valuable service for your students. By using "industrial standards" you are preparing your students at a level that will facilitate an easier transition to the workplace because they will have the skill sets required to set in to different kitchens.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In teaching culinary arts, we stress that our curiculum is "Industry Modeled". In that way juggeling different knowledge levels in the class mirrors the actual experience in the restaurants of America. Its an easy sell to the students, helping them to understand that they will see it in real world as well. It also helps to bring about a team mentality in that we are only as strong as our weakest link.
wHEN TRYING TO MEET ALL THE STUDENTS LEARNING AREAS CAN BECOME OVERWHELMING BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU ARE ELEVATATING THE NEED TO TUTOR IF DONE CORRECTLY
You really need to get a feel for the students capabilities early on and adjust to fit their needs to keep the class interesting and moving along at a steady pace.
There are usually common threads in our experiences throughout life that can be used as examples to keep the class focused and connected to the topic. I find it best to open up the class for discussion when I notice that some students are beginning to "drift".
Julie,
This can be a challenge. I use pretesting in my courses to help me identify ability levels and create a baseline for my students. I talk with students individually about their goals and purpose for being in the class and that helps me to learn about their motivation level. It is a sequential process as we learn how to challenge and support our students so their abilities will enable them to live up to their motivation levels.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
It has been difficult for me to distinguish between motivation being the problem or ability
Steven,
Good suggestions for instructors to follow should they be faced with this situation, and we know they will. Always a challenge but so exciting when you are able to see each student make progress toward their career goals.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
One of the greatest challenges with teaching is meeting the needs of a vast array of students at the same time. There is no easy way to do this except for experience and practice. If a group of slower learners begins to cause the class to fall behind, consider outside study groups, extra sessions or tutoring.
Some days it is easier to achieve than others. Some classroom experiences seem to click with one group of students and yet, fall flat with a different group. The goal is not to be too hard on yourself each day, but to vary techniques, expecting varying degrees of success.
Keeping every one involved, is challenging, but possible.
